Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the promoters of the Crossrail Bill will submit a draft option agreement to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in respect of its proposed services on the Great Western and Great Eastern main lines; and whether the promoters' timetable for the passage of the Crossrail Bill through the House of Lords will allow for the ORR to have made a decision on the option agreement before the Bill is deposited there.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Crossrail access option is currently being negotiated with Network Rail with the aim of submitting it to the ORR for approval within a few weeks. The intention continues to be that the ORR's decision will be in time to inform affected petitioners for their appearances before the House of Lords Select Committee. Whether the decision can be at an earlier stage of the Bill depends on the time the ORR needs and progress with the Bill in the House of Commons.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts for the requested offences are shown in the attached table.
	Figures for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
	Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Office and that for Northern Ireland for the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			 The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' court for offences relating to the Dangerous Dogs Acts 1989 and 1871 Section 2 and Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sections 1(2)(a), 1(2)(d), 1(2)(e) and 1(3) in England and Wales 1992-2005 (1) (2) (3) 
			 Statute Offence description 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1989. Dogs Act 1871 Sec. 2. Failure to comply with an order to keep a dog under proper control etc. Dangerous dog not kept under proper control. 889 609 551 510 513 492 454 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(a). Breeding or breeding from a fighting dog. 31 9 1 1 5 1 5 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(d). Allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or a lead. 187 74 24 20 12 12 7 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(e). Abandoning, or allowing to stray, a fighting dog. 27 12 8 3 2 3 - 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(3). Possession, without exemption, of a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa or other designated fighting dog. 209 167 57 35 18 15 23 
			 Total  1,343 871 641 569 550 523 489 
		
	
	
		
			 Statute Offence description 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1989. Dogs Act 1871 Sec. 2. Failure to comply with an order to keep a dog under proper control etc. Dangerous dog not kept under proper control. 401 462 374 336 335 352 306 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(a). Breeding or breeding from a fighting dog. 1 2 1 6 4 15 3 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(d). Allowing a fighting dog to be in a public place without a muzzle or a lead. 11 9 4 3 2 2 3 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(2)(e). Abandoning, or allowing to stray, a fighting dog. 2 - - 1 - - 1 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Sec. 1(3). Possession, without exemption, of a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa or other designated fighting dog. 12 5 4 6 1 5 11 
			 Total  427 478 383 352 342 374 324 
			 - NIL 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. 
			 (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
			 (3) Staffordshire police force was able to submit sample data only for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. 
			 Our ref: PQ HL1625 and HL1626Source:  RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government have proposed, as part of their review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, that the law will make clear that basic research involving human embryos is permissible, subject to controls.
	Schedule 2 of the Act sets out the activities for which licences may be granted. As specified in paragraph 3 of that schedule, licences for the purposes of a project of research involving human embryos cannot authorise any activity unless it appears to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to be research necessary or desirable for one or more of the purposes specified. Further, the law makes clear that no licence shall be granted unless the authority is satisfied that any proposed use of the embryos is necessary for the purposes of the particular research project.
	The Question for Written Answer tabled by Lord Alton of Liverpool (HL1046) was answered on22 January (WA 203-04), together with HL1043, 1044 and 1045.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the commitment by the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety, Mr Tony McNulty, on 30 October 2006 (HC Deb, cols 49-50) that the Government would provide a defence from prosecution to those taking part in airsoft activities, and that the defence would be provided within regulations to be issued as a consequence of the provisions of the Violent Crime ReductionAct 2006, what progress has been made in drafting those regulations; and what meetings they have had with organisations representing airsoft since October 2006 so that they may assist with the drafting of the regulations.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: A data cleansing exercise is needed before an interface with PNC can be successfully made. This is being carried out on a force by force basis after each has been migrated to NFLMS. Technical and financial assistance is being given. All forces expect to have completed this work by June 2007.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The application by Kerzner Northampton Ltd was subject to the same level of scrutiny and investigation as any other certificate of consent application. This would have included detailed enquiries into the probity, integrity and financial standing of the applicants.
	Broad details of what enquiries are made in respect of applications for certificates of consent, along with the relevant application and declaration forms, are available on the Gambling Commission website (www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk). I am arranging for copies of these to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The Gaming Board's successor body the Gambling Commission has confirmed that it has no record of any specific information relating to the application from Kerzner Northampton Ltd being made available to officials from either the Department for Culture, Media and Sport or the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In connection with the application by Kerzner International for a casino license in Northampton which was approved by the Gaming Board on30 March 2004, whether any disclosures were made by Mr Sol Kerzner, Mr Jerry Horsea or Mr Tobin Prior of findings of guilt, including juvenile convictions, formal police reprimands, warnings and cautions no matter how long ago; and in checking the probity of Mr Sol Kerzner, how the Gaming Board investigated his alleged payment to the Prime Minister of Transkei.

Lord Rooker: All PSNI disposals are conducted through the Valuation and Lands Agency (VLA) in accordance with the central advisory unit disposal process. The information requested is set out in the table below. Vender and vendee details are omitted, given security and commercial considerations. Estate agents' costs, where applicable, are included under "selling costs". Selling costs exclude internal charges for PSNI, legal services and VLA.
	
		
			 Disposal Date Property Location Date of Acquisition Cost Acquired £ Method Price Sold £ Selling Costs £ 
			 03/05/1990 Disused Police Station Tynan Oct 1938 N/K VLA 55,000 3,632 
			 26/09/1994 487/489 Lisburn Road Belfast 01/07/1924 N/K VLA 210,000 0 
			 25/06/1995 Church Square Banbridge 01/12/1923 N/K VLA 90,000 835 
			 09/11/1995 Glenbank Belfast 15/10/1985 75,000 VLA 50,000 0 
			 xx/xx/1996 Springfield Parade Belfast 16/10/1956   20/04/1982 N/K VLA 90,000 3,580 
			 22/04/1996 Downshire Road Newry 18/06/1982 N/K VLA 100,000 2,250 
			 16/06/1996 13 Waveney Avenue Ballymena 17/08/1995 15,000 VLA 17,000 1,690 
			 28/07/1996 Land opposite station Plumbridge N/K N/K VLA 5,500 0 
			 28/04/1997 Spencer Road- Former Police Station Londonderry 20/01/1934 N/K VLA 95,000 0 
			 01/12/1998 Disused Police Station Warringstown 02/10/1961 N/K VLA 81,000 2,064 
			 15/12/1998 3 Cumberland Drive Dundonald 01/02/1954 N/K VLA 280,000 4,204 
			 09/02/1999 Disused Police Station Strangford 17/07/1939 N/K VLA 160,000 0 
			 16/09/1999 Disused Hilltop Site Straidkilly 10/06/1989 2,250 VLA 16,000 0 
			 05/11/1999 Former New Barnsley Station Belfast 18/04/1983 N/K VLA 450,000 0 
			 12/04/2000 Station 20/34 Clonfeakle Road Benburb 28/08/1956 N/K VLA 61,000 1,204 
			 29/08/2000 33a Castle Street Lisburn 27/11/1933 N/K VLA _ 197,000 7,295 
			 15/01/2001 Surplus Land at Rear of Site Clogher N/K N/K VLA 4,000 0 
			 19/09/2001 Ormiston Belfast 24/03/1975 200,000 VLA 9,000,000 0 
			 23/03/2004 Former Springfield Road Police Station Belfast 25/08/1888 N/K VLA 455,000 0 
			 14/01/2005 Queen Street Belfast 01/05/1933 N/K VLA 570,000 950 
			 29/06/2005 Former Police Station Castledawson 05/06/1957 N/K VLA 550,000 5,212 
			 06/09/2005 Former Police Station Corry Square Newry 03/07/1934 N/K VLA 730,000 0 
			 01/12/2005 Former Police Station Cullybackey 29/07/1949 N/K VLA 95,000 0 
			 17/02/2006 Andersonstown Belfast 01/11/1934 N/K VLA 400,000 0 
			 26/05/2006 Former Police Station Castlerock 13/03/1939 N/K VLA 630,000 3,069 
			 18/09/2006 13-15 Downpatrick Road Ardglass xx/09/1935 N/K VLA 300,000 0 
			 28/09/2006 Dungannon Road - Former Police Station Moy 25/03/1930 N/K VLA 200,000 0 
			 08/12/2006 Former Police Station Caledon 12/02/1940 N/K VLA 860,000 2,826.25 
			 08/01/2007 Former Police Station Tempo 15/04/1930 N/K VLA 220,000 0 
			 11/01/2007 Former Police Station Dromore(Ty) 08/12/1928 N/K VLA 630,000 1,406.33 
			 12/01/2007 Former Police Station Ballygawley 20/02/1929 N/K VLA 600,000 1,406.33

Lord Rea: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the number of National Health Service hospital consultants in England in each year since 2001.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The number of the National Health Service hospital consultants in England in each year since 2001 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): All Medical and Dental Consultants by Year 
			 England at 30 September each year numbers (headcount) 
			  2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
			 All Consultants 25,782 27,070 28,750 30,650 31,993 
			 Source:  The Information Centre fro Health and Social Care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 
		
	
	There are no equivalent data from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to make a valid comparison to the number of hospital consultants in England.

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the then Minister of Health, Hazel Blears, on 11 March 2002 (HC Deb, 847W), whether the compliance for privacy in mixed sex wards, as set out in the Table of Mixed Sex Hospital Accommodation (Objective One) on the Department of Health's website, requires partitions which are permanent, rigid and fixed to the building structure.

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the weekly cost per head of supporting unaccompanied young asylum-seekers in the London Borough of Hillingdon over the past three years; how many were in the care of Hillingdon social services; and to what extent they were supported by central government in each of those years.

Lord Adonis: Data on the weekly cost per head of supporting unaccompanied young asylum seekers in individual councils are not collected centrally. The number of unaccompanied asylum seekers who were looked after by the London Borough of Hillingdon at31 March in each of the past three years is given below:
	
		
			 Children looked after who are unaccompanied asylum seekers at 31 March 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 1,2 
			  2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 Hillingdon 235 270 305 
			 1. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements. 
			 2. To preserve confidentiality, local authority figures have been rounded to the nearest five. 
		
	
	Local authorities, and not central government, provide support to unaccompanied asylum seeking children, in accordance with their legal responsibilities under the Children Act 1989.

Baroness Andrews: The Government looked carefully with local government at the cost pressures facing local authorities in both 2006-07 and 2007-08, including those in the area of adult social care, and the ways that those pressures can be managed. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2007-08, being the second year of a two-year settlement, provides an increase in Government grant of £3.1 billion or 4.9 per cent on the previous year. This includes an extra £508 million above existing spending plans following the joint work with local government. It will allow authorities to provide effective services without the need to impose excessive council tax increases, and ensures that every individual authority with social services responsibilities gets an increase in grant of at least 2.7 per cent.
	The Government are again working with local authorities in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 to assess the pressures councils face from 2008-09 onwards, including those that arise in the delivery of adult social care.

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What presents, gifts or mementoes purchased with public funds any official from the Office of Deputy Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister's private office has given to Mr Philip Anschutz or any of his associates during thecourse of their meetings, including the Deputy Prime Minister's visit to Mr Anschutz's ranch in July 2005.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What, on appointment, was the investigativeor judicial experience of the present Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.

Lord Adonis: The statement made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport on 21 November was based on her experience of visiting primary schools up and down the country. The joint DfES/DCMS national strategy for PE and school sport is already addressing the aspirations of young people regarding the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The Government are investing heavily to provide adequate access to coaching and sports facilitiesin schools. Between 2003-04 and 2007-08, the Departments for Culture, Media and Sport and for Education and Skills will have invested £70 million in sports coaching.
	The Building Schools for the Future programme, which aims to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school over the next 15 years, and the Primary Capital Programme starting in 2008, both provide funding to build well designed PE and sport facilities where they are needed.

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When designating a site under Section 128(3)(c) of the Serious Organised Crime and PoliceAct 2005, what criteria they use to assess whether the level of threat to national security is sufficient to justify designation.

Baroness Amos: Humanitarian agencies are struggling in exceptionally and increasingly difficult circumstances to deliver vital aid to those in need in Darfur. The Secretary of State for International Development issued a statement on 26 January 2007 condemning the abuse UN and NGO humanitarian staff were subjected to in Nyala, south Darfur by the Sudanese security forces and calling on the Government of Sudan to bring those responsible to account.
	We are working with all sides to the conflict to ensure the ability of humanitarian agencies to operate freely, securely and without constraint. We are calling on all sides to cease the violence immediately, renew the ceasefire and political process, and accept the AU/UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.
	Sporadic outbreaks of communicable diseases, such as meningitis and cholera, have taken place in Darfur in recent years. Due to the presence of so many international aid agencies, however, the response has been swifter and more effective than in many other parts of Sudan. A concern is outbreaks in areas now too insecure for aid agencies to operate.
	DfID channels most of its humanitarian funds through the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), which was key in tackling a cholera outbreak in 2006. In 2007, 10 per cent of the CHF (approximately£70 million, of which DfID's contribution is £40 million) will be set aside for emergency response.